Adelaide students vow to ban derogatory term "gay"

STUDENTS at major Adelaide high schools have pledged to stop the derogatory use of the word "gay", in a move the Education Department hopes will go statewide.

Today, more than 800 students from Wirreanda High School, in the southern Adelaide suburb of Morphett Vale will sign a document agreeing to stop using comments such as "that's so gay".

It follows a similar undertaking by students at Unley High School.

Wirreanda principal Tony Lunniss said the pledge was not just about banning words - but also encouraging the school's students to be more tolerant.

Education Department head of schools Garry Costello said all public schools were being "strongly encouraged" to address homophobia actively.

"Sometimes it's deliberately hurtful but `that's so gay' is often used to mean inferior, not very good, I don't like. That can be unintentionally hurtful," he said. "I think it's a wonderful thing that schools are doing this so every kid in a public school can feel accepted and comfortable with who they are."

Wirreanda students will sign a banner reading: "Pledge - It's not okay to say `it's gay'."

Teachers will monitor students' use of the word.

The pledge coincides with Wear It Purple Day - a US initiative aimed at stopping the bullying and suicide surrounding gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and intersex youth at risk that was established in Sydney in 2010.

Mr Lunniss said the pledge was driven by students.

"Members of the Student Voice group at Wirreanda heard about Wear it Purple Day and wanted to raise awareness and promote tolerance and support for all young people in our community," he said.

"Wear it Purple Day is an idea started in the US by high school students who wanted to raise awareness about rainbow youth suicide, particularly in response to concerns about homophobic bullying."

Openly gay Communities and Social Inclusion Minister Ian Hunter said he was "immensely proud" of these young people for making a public statement.

"When I was growing up it never would have happened but it would have made my life so much easier," he said.

"Having people come out and say they're not going to tolerate it (the derogatory use of the word gay) is a really powerful thing."

Mr Hunter said that to extend the pledge to other schools, it was up to students to be the key movers.

Federal Finance Minister Penny Wong, who is in a same-sex relationship, said these students should be "wholeheartedly commended" for their initiative.

"Their willingness to stand up for values so important to our community - respect, tolerance and equality - is heart-warming," she said.

Wear it Purple education and schools co-ordinator Jayde Ellis said the day was about creating a conversation and showing support. "Seeing someone wearing purple can help a young person to feel they do have support, even if it's not someone they know," Ms Ellis said.

Unley High School principal Susan Cameron said that last year a Year 12 student developed the school's gay-straight alliance as part of her research project.

"One of the things they did this year was a Think Before You Speak Week to get the students thinking before they say `that's so gay'," she said.

Students were also encouraged to sign a pledge not to use the word "gay" in a derogatory manner.

Wirreanda High School old scholar Ryan Fitzgerald, who graduated in 1993, said he hoped the next generation would start to see it was uncool to slander someone for their sexuality.

"I'm a southern boy who grew up in the southern suburbs and I come from a generation where it was more accepted to say the word `gay' and even harsher words than that," he said. "I still think in a way `gay' is an accepted word and that needs to be stamped out altogether."

Adelaidenow reported last month lesbian mothers and their children were experiencing discrimination and a researcher called for a crackdown on the use of "that's so gay" by students.